I don't think you were out of line at all, Jumble. I am very sorry for having quoted you out of context, and have edited the OP to paraphrase what prompted CorruptUser's comments. Actually, I think the whole exercise of moving the discussion here in order to 1.) not derail the original thread and 2....

addams, you might enjoy this compilation (should I say "pile-up"?) of Biblical cars. Today I Learned that the bird known as the roadrunner , like all members of the cuckoo family, exhibits zygodactyly (feet with toes facing both forward and backward). I would have thought this a significan...

It's not a cost-plus system at all. No, it's a market based system. They charge what the market will bear. It's hard to compare with cars, as each patient case is different but cars are pretty fungible. It's a bit more like pricing artwork, which is another example of "not a cost-plus" sy...

David Foster Wallace's famous essay "Consider the Lobster," regarding the ethics of boiling lobsters alive, seems relevant. (If you're short of time, I'd recommend skipping to the section that begins on p. 62 and proceeding to the end on p. 64.)

Despite both of our efforts to communicate, we still seem to be having two entirely different conversations. I didn't mention homosexuality at all in my last post. We can continue to spend a lot of time and energy explaining what we think the other is saying, or we could just call it a draw and quit...

If I understand you correctly, CorruptUser You don't. Not even sure where to start with you, so I'll just ramble on here. 1) Morals are derived from consequences 2) Consequences are in large part the result of the environment, whether that's the technology of society, the local climate, or the pres...

Sorry for the double post, but I wanted to distinguish between the quoted material above and my blather below. Unless I'm horribly mistaken, while anesthetics make our individual lives better their availability has little impact on the morals on society. You seem concerned about the effects of homos...

This side-discussion started happening in the "Darker Side of the News" thread, so I thought I'd start this thread on society's interest in sexual morality at Serious Business. The context: [EDITED BY OBSESSOMOM TO PARAPHRASE: Someone else had expressed doubts that many religions provide j...

Unless I'm horribly mistaken, while anesthetics make our individual lives better their availability has little impact on the morals on society. Spoilered for off topic: This thread isn't the place for this conversation, but I don't think the phrase "morals in society" means what y...

Here's a picture from the first meeting of the girl's council in Saudi Arabia for discussing the welfare and empowerment of women. See if you can spot what's missing. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/C6xnuUIWYAAmDT_.jpg:large The above photo makes a cameo appearance in the following story: All-male Whit...

Update: Damage, design flaws in Oroville Dam spillway point to lengthy repairs, consultants say Notably, the panel expressed concern that the concrete chute is only a foot thick, and less so in some places. DWR built the spillway on an uneven mountainside and in some spots used compacted clay to fil...

Despite the show being taken off air, those still toiling for survival in the wilds of the 600-acre estate on the Ardnamurchan peninsula were not informed that their ordeal had not been broadcast since August. Hah! Hard to feel any sympathy really... link Hmmm, I wonder how development of the Mars ...

Boston Public Schools move from Mercator to Peters Projection maps. Outraged tweet from Trump in three...two...one... Actually, I seem to recall some maps of Trump World. Here are two (of many): http://static.boredpanda.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/funny-world-map-donald-trump-latest-raw.jpe...

A drunk man just leant out of his car window (from the passenger side) and called me Jesus. It might be time to get a shave and a haircut. TWOOOO BIIIITS That reference flew over my head and left chemtrails behind as the only evidence of its passing-through. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shave_and_...

Dear Next Door Neighbor, Please stop parking with your vehicle blocking two to three feet of my driveway. If this persists, I might actually be forced to interact with you, rather than simply thinking annoyed thoughts in your general direction (or posting ineffectual rants like this on the Internet)...

Commentary: Donald Trump's wiretap tweets raise his risk of impeachment by Noah Feldman TL;DR version: President Donald Trump has accused his predecessor, President Barack Obama, of an act that could have gotten the past president impeached. That's not your ordinary exercise of free speech. If the ...

Dmitry Rybolovlev's private plane was at the same airports as Trump's plane, REPEATEDLY, during the 2016 presidential campaign. I'm sure it was just a coincidence. (Video autoload warnings) http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow/watch/intriguing-overlap-in-paths-of-russian-oligarch-trump-campaign-889979...

A few days ago, I learned that the peace sign is a combo of the flag semaphore signs for N and D, standing for "nuclear disarmament." http://www.thisiscolossal.com/2017/02/delicate-sketches-of-the-original-peace-symbol-to-be-exhibited-in-london/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peace_symbols#...

Russia just pulled a North Korea by firing a missile in violation of standing treaties. Apparently. It's very murky. "Unidentified U.S. officials" are reporting it, with few details. I haven't seen anyone confirming it or saying where it happened yet. We'll have to wait, I guess.

Classical languages (Latin & Greek): A Ponzi-type scheme, minus money, in which you become qualified for nothing but teaching other people to become qualified for nothing but teaching other people to become qualified for nothing but...

Why is no one talking about this? I realize it wasn't exactly a slow news day yesterday, but still. SEAL, American Girl Die in First Trump-Era U.S. Military Raid In what an official said was the first military raid carried out under President Donald Trump, two Americans were killed in Yemen on Sunda...

William Christopher --who played the gentle Father Mulcahy in M*A*S*H, and was a longtime advocate for his autistic son and others with autism--died yesterday, aged 84. I liked the statement of co-star Loretta Swit (Major Margaret "Hot Lips" Houlihan) here : Our Dear Bill and his goodness...

So, after the Orlando and San Bernardino shootings, several American newspapers took the virtuous stance that they wouldn't glorify terrorists by printing their photographs. This morning, both print newspapers I receive (yes, I'm old) had the same photo of Mr. Murderer in Ankara standing over his vi...

The new five pound note contains tallow. No word on which animal has been used, as this article only focusses on vegan/vegetarian implications rather than religious. Wasn't sure if to put here or news in brief, but it is definitely a ridiculous oversight. It's human tallow. UK currency is people. U...

I enjoy reading the obituaries of fascinating, admirable people I'd never heard of (such as journalist Ruth Gruber , who died a few weeks ago at age 105. It makes me happy to think that the world is filled with many other fascinating, admirable people I've never heard of because they are still livin...

Judge throws out ex-L.A. County Sheriff Lee Baca's plea deal, saying six months in prison not enough tl;dr: Former Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca tried to get a more lenient sentence for the beatings of prisoners (and of at least one prison visitor), and for the intimidation of the FBI officer...